About US
ABOUT The LEWES FESTIVAL OF SONG
We want to share our love of the rich fusion of music and words that is classical song, exploring both its deep roots in tradition and its flowering right here and now.
Our concerts are given by world-class performers, from highly experienced, established artists to exceptionally talented, emerging performers. Our emphasis is on communication, vivid music-making and exploring connections in unusual programmes, and above all, on the sheer beauty of this repertoire.
Our main focus is a weekend festival, with additional concerts during the year, all held at St. Anne’s Church in Lewes. As well as the traditional duos of singers and pianists, we have featured a chamber orchestra, string quartets, a cappella choirs and woodwind and string soloists. We have commissioned new work and worked closely with many contemporary composers.
Soloists who have performed with us include: Mark Padmore, Sally Matthews, Ashley Riches, Joseph Middleton, Louise Winter, James Newby, Nick Pritchard, Keval Shah, Lotte Betts-Dean, Florian Störtz, Jâms Coleman and Ian Tindale.
LEE BISSET
Co-Artistic Director
Scottish soprano, Lee Bisset, studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the Royal Northern
College of Music and the National Opera Studio. She has established a reputation, nationally and
internationally, for the passion and commitment of her stage presence coupled with vocal versatility and stamina.
She has sung major principal roles for Opera Memphis, the Ópera de Bellas Artes, Mexico City,
Ópera São Paulo, Opera Omaha, Konzert Theater Bern, Scottish Opera, Northern Ireland Opera,
English National Opera, Opera North and for the Royal Ballet and Opera.
Photo by Matthew William-Ellis
Most recent engagements include Gerhilde Die Walküre at the Royal Ballet and Opera, and Brünnhilde in the full Ring Cycle at Longborough Festival Opera.
In concert Lee has performed as a soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Teatro Real, Madrid, the orchestra of Opera North, the orchestra of Scottish Opera, the Theatro São Pedro, Brazil, and the Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen.
A committed recitalist, recent performances have included the premiere of the song cycle Waiting for Night written for her by American composer Scott Wheeler.
NANCY COOLEY
Co-Artistic Director
Nancy studied the piano with Joseph Weingarten and Maria Donska and has a degree in music from King’s College, Cambridge. She is Founder and Artistic Director of the Lewes Festival of Song, which she began in 2015.
Nancy won the accompanist’s prize in the Walther Grüner International Lieder Competition in 1987 and since then has specialised in song repertoire and in chamber music. She has performed widely both here and abroad, with concerts for the BBC, Wigmore Hall, the South Bank and at St. John’s, Smith Square, and performances at the Aldeburgh, Brighton, Edinburgh, Cheltenham and Aix en Provence festivals.
She worked for many years accompanying singers’ masterclasses at the Britten-Pears School, was on the music staff at Glyndebourne for ten years and until recently coached singers at the Royal College of Music.
Nancy takes part in many local concerts with singers and instrumentalists, including with the Fitzwilliam Quartet in 2019 and in duos with Sally Beamish, Sebastian Comberti and Ellie Blackshaw.
Well done on putting on yet another truly fantastic festival, beautifully planned and full of very special moments.
-M.P.
Gorgeous programming, as usual - thought-provoking, mind-expanding, lovely!
-O.G.
The programming & the performances are very special.
-L.Y.
The best ever song festival – so many talents and so much inspiring music on display. It was all world class, but if I had to choose a favourite from the whole thing it would be my personal love of the emotional Finzi settings of Hardy in James Newby’s wonderfully varied and insightful evening – what a talent! Or Alison Rose’s “Illuminations” – another favourite piece but in a spectacular performance with the Corelli – and wasn’t the tenor good! You should be very proud and pleased to bring all this to Lewes.
-M.B.
What a treat yesterday’s lunchtime concert was. I can’t thank you enough. Fabulous repertoire – most of which I didn’t know – beautifully played and sung.
-A.S.
What a huge success I thought the Festival was. Really interesting programmes and such well-chosen, brilliant young players. It was all delightful and last night’s ‘Illuminations’ was absolutely electrifying.
-J.H.